Senate Budget: Bold Action Needed

The Senate budget will be released today, three months after the Governor’s proposal. The Senate version is unlikely to offer a new vision for solving our state’s historic budget deficit in a way that is consistent with the state’s values. Rather, it is expected to be a new version of the same all-cuts strategy.

Our state’s fiscal problems are too big to be solved with an all-cuts approach. The lasting damage to Washington families and infrastructure by deep cuts will harm our ability to recover when the economy bounces back. The path to a just and equitable society is not paved by dramatic budget cuts that leave hard working Washingtonians with no health insurance, ambitious students with less access to college, and people who are unable to work with few options for financial security.

Instead, we need leadership from our policymakers that includes bold action on raising the revenue necessary to invest in education, community, health, and security. Washington’s households and businesses need these public investments in order to weather the economic storm and prosper as the economy recovers.

We'll be posting analysis on schmudget throughout the day, so stay tuned.